Longtime Penn-Trafford principal set to retire after 26 years in district

Longtime Penn-Trafford Principal Jim Simpson discovered his love of teaching while tutoring classmates in math at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to enrolling in the university’s computer science program, the New Kensington native never considered a career in education.

“I had my (general education) math courses and I ended up tutoring people on my dorm floor in their math classes,” said Simpson, 57, of Penn Township. “And I just realized that I enjoyed it. I never thought growing up, ‘Oh I want to be a teacher.’ ”

But after more than three decades in education, Simpson is preparing to retire from his post in the Penn-Trafford School District.

Simpson taught math at a school district in Virginia his first year out of college, returning to his home state a few years later for a teaching position at Penn Hills. He briefly worked as an administrator at Woodland Hills before settling at Penn-Trafford in 1999.

During his 26 years in the district, Simpson has run the gamut of education jobs. He taught at the high school for a few years before accepting assistant principal roles at the high school and Penn and Trafford middle schools.

He briefly led Trafford Middle as principal before accepting a principal role at Penn Middle in 2008 — a job he remained in for 17 years.

Throughout his career, Simpson developed an appreciation for the energy of the school day — working with staff to help students become their best selves.

“There’s a saying: ‘A journey is made of thousands of very small steps,’ ” Simpson said. “Every school year has little victories and incremental growth, especially at the middle schools when I was there.

“Middle school is not an easy time for a number of kids, and I found it very rewarding to help kids problem solve and help them transition to that beginning of adulthood that they find in the high school.”

Simpson set to retire in January

Simpson bid farewell to Penn Middle in the spring, shifting to a transitionary principal role at the high school this semester until his Jan. 30 retirement.

The school board will vote Monday on hiring a new high school assistant principal who will take Simpson’s place, said Superintendent Matthew Harris, who commended Simpson’s high energy and work ethic.

“He put in hours upon hours, weekends,” Harris said. “He was always at the building, very visible, very student-focused. His knowledge of the academic (programs) and all subject areas was very strong.

“I’m very thankful for having him in the district as long as we did.”

For the past several months, Simpson has helped middle school principals Greg Capoccioni and Roger Sullivan transition into their new positions.

Capoccioni, former high school assistant principal, was shifted to Sullivan’s previous role as Trafford Middle principal. Sullivan has replaced Simpson as principal at Penn Middle.

Simpson also has helped oversee student management and teacher leadership at the high school. He has enjoyed collaborating with Principal Tony Aquilio and Assistant Principal Luke Healey.

‘I’m just so thankful for it’

Simpson is most proud of the systems he and Sullivan established at the middle schools throughout his tenure — including the parent-teacher organizations and support programs for students struggling with organization and academics.

Personalizing education for each student was his everyday mantra at Penn Middle, he said.

“You can’t learn if you’re hungry. You can’t learn if you’re frightened,” he said. “Learning is a structural thing.

“It has to build, and if there are floors of your personal self that aren’t working, are in a state of disarray, you’re not going to learn.”

As Simpson prepares to depart the district, he is proud to watch his daughter, Tori, build her own education career as a fifth grade teacher at Harrison Park Elementary.

“Teresa, my wife, and my kids, Tori and Jared — I would never have been able to do the job without their constant support,” he said.

But Simpson isn’t planning to leave education entirely. He hopes to find work supporting new or aspiring principals.

“It’s just so humbling, the amount of work we do and what we do for kids,” he said. “Just to be a part of that process, I’m just so thankful for it.”